


Wherever The Journey Takes You

by Joana789



Category: Naruto
Genre: 5 Times, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Canon Timeline, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Leaving, Leaving Home, NaruSaku here is platonic, Over the Years, angst is my life, they're only friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-05-06 00:30:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5395877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joana789/pseuds/Joana789
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sakura is not a malevolent person, but there’s an ember of hostility in the pit of her stomach, nearly lost amongst the cold fire of fear raging in her veins.<br/>She thinks that if she were to choose one thing she truly hates about the village, that would be the gate.</p><p> <br/>Sakura stays in Konoha four times, and then - finally - doesn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wherever The Journey Takes You

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't find a story like that, so I wrote one myself. It made me feel things.  
> I hope you'll enjoy.
> 
> You can find me on tumblr [here](http://angstandcats.tumblr.com)

_One_

On the night when he leaves the village, Uchiha Sasuke abandons Haruno Sakura in his dust on the cold, stone bench.

Before he knocks her out, Sakura thinks that it doesn’t have to end like this – him leaving, getting rid of something they’ve built together so arduously, with such labour; that this time Sasuke really does have a choice. She wants to turn to him, not caring about the tears streaming down her cheeks or blurred vision and at least look him in the face. Not because he’s the very person she’s always been so hung up on – Sakura left her foolish infatuation on that bridge in the Land of Waves, where she shed so many tears, as salty as the sea. It’s not the boy of her dreams who’s standing here but a real person – someone who’d wake her up in the midst of the night, gently shaking her shoulder, because it was her turn to take the watch; someone who’d greet her with a simple nod of their head in the morning; who’d guard her with their own body without a second thought and stop her with an iron grip on her wrist if needed.  It’s _Sasuke_.

 _“I’ll be very lonely,”_ she said, and it is true.

She understands the position he’s in. Sasuke keeps pushing her away, but she _knows_ , really – or she likes to believe she does, at least. It’s not easy; it’s never been when it comes to him, but if she can help, she will. Sakura would follow him to the ends of the world and back if he asked because her infatuation back from the bridge has blossomed into love so overwhelming she can barely comprehend its extent.

That, too, is a thing she understands.

She doesn’t know how to convey her feelings well enough, how to get the message through so that he deciphers it right because if her blunt confession - ripped from her insides,  painfully honest, as if dragged out by force - didn’t do it, what else possibly could? _I will follow you everywhere_ , her mind screams, _but only if you want_.

He doesn’t.

Uchiha Sasuke jams his thumb against her pressure point quicker and more precisely than she’d ever be able to, and that’s it. Her tears stop, eyes widening only to close a second later.

(Her suddenly limb body never meets the ground, but only one of them knows it.)

 

The next morning, just after the dawn, Haruno Sakura wakes up to the vague memory of a softly whispered _thank you_ and the echo of her own promise in her head – _I will follow you everywhere if you want_ – thinking that perhaps Uchiha Sasuke actually did.

 

\---

 

_Two_

Naruto doesn’t set out alone, but Sakura, as she begs him to bring Sasuke back with all power she has left and feels tears prickling under her eyelids, knows the battle that awaits him won’t be fought alongside his comrades. It will be a duel, a conclusion of something the two of them had started long before she even noticed.

He promises he will drag Sasuke back here by force if needed; swears to his ninja way as he adjust his forehead protector - a habit she doesn’t think he realises that exists. His grin is wide and bright when he tells her not to worry.

If she could, she would be spared a great deal of trouble.

Her job is done – Naruto is the only one who can stop Sasuke now. Sakura tried but failed miserably – everyone knows it at the first glance they shoot at her, and – as difficult as it is to admit – there’s not much she can do anymore. As she chokes on her sobs, looks at her tears on the pavement, it becomes clear. _It’s a promise of a lifetime_ , Naruto said; the weight of these words lingers in the air between them, even as he turns away from her, heading out; bracing himself.

Naruto’s back is still narrow - because no matter what he’s been through, he’s still just a boy. We’re only fourteen, Sakura has to remind herself at times, even though none of them is a kid anymore; childhood ended the moment they got their very own forehead protectors, the minute they became shinobi. His neon orange jacket starts getting smaller and smaller as he wanders off, then eventually vanishes when he steps into the forest, but the view stands unmoved in front of Sakura’s eyes –Naruto’s squared shoulders and bright clothes and the utter lack of doubts. It feels as if the outline of his silhouette got imprinted in her mind.

The commitment he made, she thinks, is a great burden to carry.

It doesn’t stop her from hoping, though, _hoping_ it isn’t the last time she sees him; that she will meet them again soon, both Naruto and Sasuke. A promise of a lifetime, she repeats in her head.

So when Naruto goes, Sakura stays. Something ignites behind her sternum and then spreads wider, soon seizing her whole body. It takes her some time to realise what this feeling is – what makes her hands shake or teeth grind, and when she does, she curls into herself.

Sakura is not a malevolent person, but there’s an ember of hostility in the pit of her stomach, nearly lost amongst the cold fire of fear raging in her veins.

She thinks that if she were to choose one thing she truly hates about the village, that would be the gate.

 

\---

 

_Three_

She’s one of the first people to hear the news, although not personally from Naruto. It takes the form of a few hesitant whispers in the street at first, later blooming into doubtful rumours and, eventually, becoming a widely known information, one that people pass with their eyebrows raised in surprise, yet in a well-intentioned manner.

Naruto Uzumaki’s leaving the village to train under the supervision of the famous Jiraya. One of the Sannin, they say, one of the world’s strongest men.

Sakura does not know what to think about it at the beginning.

The first time she hears it is when she passes by the Academy, and a group of children almost runs into her. They are so preoccupied with the heated conversation they’re having they barely notice Sakura at all, but she just smiles at one of them – a girl who actually apologized - planning on continuing the stroll down the street. When, amongst high-pitched yelps and squeaky calls, she catches Naruto’s name, she slows down, intrigued.

As one of the boys mentions Jiraya, Sakura stops.

These days, there are only three places Uzumaki can be found in – raddled training grounds, his messy, tiny apartment or, at last, Ichiraku. He’s busy; Sakura knows because they haven’t talked in days, and she would be lying if she said it didn’t bother her just a tiny bit. To be honest, she kind of hoped that she’d be the first to hear the news – _Sakura-chan, I need to tell you something!_ – and wouldn’t have to eavesdrop on a group of ten-year-olds instead.

It makes her throat tighten, but only for a second.

So later, when she spots a person dressed in orange at the Ichiraku, she walks over and slips into the seat next to him without thinking much.

Naruto’s alone, fortunately, and he doesn’t notice her until she greets him, too focused on his ramen. Nearly choking on his food in surprise, eyes wide, he mutters something around the mouthful of noodles– probably her name, although it barely sounds like it – then swallows, ordering another ramen for himself and one for her, too, before she can protest.

Sakura doesn’t mention the subject of him leaving with Jiraya until their food gets delivered, two big, steaming bowls at the sight of which Naruto’s eyes glint. Mr. Teuchi puts the dishes in front of them, smiling, and then goes back to the kitchen, having probably figured they need some privacy. Naruto breathes in the smell of ramen and gets to eating. Sakura stares at the dish in front of her, forming the words.

“I heard that you’re leaving,” she eventually says; her voice comes out a little too quiet for her liking, but it’s okay.

Naruto freezes, the chopsticks in his hand. From the corner of her eye she sees him slouch. The atmosphere between them becomes tense in a second, but Sakura can’t feel guilty.

“Well, yeah,” he finally admits, trying to sound carefree, but is comes out more nervous than surprised. “In about a week; Ero-sennin and I are going to train hard! How do you know, Sakura-chan?”

She shrugs, still staring into her bowl.

“I heard people talking in the street,” she answers.

Naruto seems to be taken aback at that at first, then becomes upset.

“You mean more people know? Oh man, it wasn’t supposed to spread… You know, Sakura-chan, it will probably last a while, the training, but I kinda wanted to keep it a pretty secret thing, at least until we leave…”

 _So it really is true, then_ , Sakura doesn’t say.

“The rumours tend to spread fast,” is what she does say instead, deciding to finally start eating, if only for the excuse of still not looking at Naruto. There’s something weird about it – she’s not angry at him, no; not offended, either. Just slightly disturbed.

 _Why didn’t you tell me earlier?_ is another thing she doesn’t say.

The silence falls over them again – after a couple of bites, Sakura stops eating because she can barely swallow; Naruto never even starts, as weird as it is. They listen to the sounds of Mr. Teuchi moving around the kitchen – clanging of the pots, water running, his footsteps. It’s completely dark outside now – the sky pitch-black, the moon invisible – and Sakura wonders what time it is; how long they’ve been sitting like this.

“You know, Sakura-chan, I really meant to tell you sooner.”

The sound of his voice actually startles her at first, and she almost flinches in surprise. Naruto sounds hesitant, yet honest, and for a second, Sakura forgets how weirdly unsettled looking at him makes her feel. She turns to him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Naruto fumbles with his chopsticks, swirls his food around in his bowl. He looks uneasy; she lets him take his time, waiting.

“I really did,” he finally picks up after a minute or so, “because I’ve been thinking about it for a while now – the training, I mean. I know I need to get stronger so that I can bring Sasuke back to Konoha and become Hokage, and now I know how, you see, because Ero-sennin promised to teach me a lot..”

Sakura’s chest constricts at the mention of Sasuke. She hopes it doesn’t show.

“So why didn’t you?” she asks. “Tell me?”

Naruto peers at her, and there’s something about the blue of his eyes that seems off,

“When I leave,” he mutters, glancing away, “you’ll be alone here.”

He feels guilty, she realizes, and all of a sudden the tightness of her chest melts into warmth, familiar and easy. He doesn’t want to leave her behind. He’s not entirely right, because some people will stay, of course – her parents, Kakashi-sensei, Ino – but they both know; the moment he crosses the gate, something’s bound to shift.

She draws a breath.

“Hey, Naruto,” Sakura speaks, and the boy flits his gaze back at her. “I promise that you won’t recognise me when you come back.”

He frowns in confusion, opening his mouth, but she puts her hand on his shoulder.

“Train hard, okay? I will, too. We will bring Sasuke home together, hm?”

Naruto stares at her for a moment, his expression unreadable, but then his face perks up, and when he smiles, Sakura does, too.

“Okay, Sakura-chan,” he agrees as he takes his chopsticks back in hand.

 

This time, when he leaves a week later, she doesn’t cry. Sakura watches Naruto’s back from afar now, proud and smiling, her head held high.

 _Do well_ , she thinks as a goodbye.

She promised him to change; promised herself to get better. Sasuke may’ve left to possess the power Orochimaru’d guaranteed him, and Naruto can train under Jiraya’s supervision as long as he wants, but Team Seven consists of three people – Sakura’s a part of it, too.

And, she thinks with a nearly amused smile, turning back from the gate and heading to the Hokage’s office instead, there’s still one more Sannin left to cover.

 

\---

 

_Four_

Looking at Sasuke back in the village makes her feel pensive. There are so many things about him Sakura doesn’t recognise – too many, she thinks sometimes; the way he trains, the speed and the smoothness of his movements; the ungodly hour he now wakes up at; the constant coolness of his voice, no matter the circumstances. They’ve all changed, she knows – maybe some sides of her are as uncharted of a territory for him as some of his are for her.

Regardless of all, though, they are still a team. Sasuke Uchiha may’ve changed but not entirely. He and Naruto still grumble at each other; he doesn’t like sweets and drinks his tea lukewarm. His eyes are the same, too – he catches her gaze at times, when she’s not careful enough and looks at him for a second too long, and those are the moments when Sakura feels twelve again.

The sight of Sasuke back in Konoha causes cogitation to settle in her bones; seeing him at the gate of the village, though, makes her remember many, _many_ things as well.

After so many years, here they are again.

And yet again, she tries to stop him. Naruto managed to forgive him easily, but Sakura doesn’t have a heart that big. She wants to, and she does her best, but it’s difficult. Sasuke understands, though, even if she hasn’t uttered a single word about it, so he doesn’t push. _Sasuke and Sakura_ are different than _Sasuke and Naruto_ ; they have their own obstacles to overcome, and that’s the main one.

So even though she does not fully know the man in front of her, she wants to _get to_ know him. That’s why she asks if he’s sure.

That’s why she asks if she can come with him.

She can’t. This is a redemption of his own, something he has to deal with alone; she has nothing to do with his sins. The answer stings a little and she lowers her head, but ignoring the pain is a thing she’s already mastered a long time ago. For a second, Sakura wants to let it slide.

Then, she discovers that she doesn’t need to.

Sasuke gets closer before she can notice – swift movements, again – and… taps her forehead. The touch startles her; it’s the last thing she’d expect him to do, initiating any physical contact. She doesn’t know what’s so special about that gesture, but it feel private, somehow, and the blush that creeps across her cheeks is suddenly impossible to hide.

It’s Sasuke’s expression, though, that leaves her speechless.

He’s smiling – genuinely, and that’s something she realises she’s been waiting for; the smile she hasn’t seen in years, the smile she never fully appreciated back in the day but does now. Her throat closes up. _He’s back_ , she repeats in her heart, _he’s back, he’s back, he’s back_.

He leaves her with a promise, something to look forward to, and that’s enough for now.

She will wait.

 

\---

 

_Five_

Haruno Sakura yanks a backpack onto her shoulders and props her hands on her hips.

“Ready?”

It’s still very early – the sun’s barely visible over the rooftops, and the whole village still seems to be sound asleep. The only people Sakura’s seen in the streets were Aiko and Mahaba, both coming back home from their shifts in the hospital. The area around the gate is wiped clean, too, except for one half-asleep man, technically standing guard.

And, of course, Uchiha Sasuke.

He stops a few steps away from her and eyes her up and down with his watchful gaze, as if examining her. For a second, she thinks that maybe there’s something wrong with the way she’s dressed or that she shouldn’t have taken a backpack that big, but then she hears him exhale, and it becomes obvious the way she looks is not the issue.

A pretty well-known spark ignites in her chest. An ember of irritation.

“Because I _am_ ready, Sasuke-kun,” she says, since it’s not likely for him to answer. “I won’t change my mind.”

He shifts.

They’ve talked about it – or, well, Sakura was the one talking, mostly. She’s been trying to convince him that it’s perfectly fine; that she’s free to go with him if she wants, and, yes, she wants. She took care of her shifts in the hospital – Tsunade-shishou promised she’d find someone in her place, told her parents, even though they weren’t especially happy; told Ino and Naruto and the rest of those, who needed to know.

She really wants to go with him this time.

“I can take care of myself,” Sakura reminds him as he finally walks over. She straightens up, subconsciously trying to reduce the height difference between them, even if just a little, still not used to how tall he is now.

“I know,” Sasuke merely says.

He’s giving her the last chance to back out, she knows. Something have changed between them since he came back to Konoha a month ago, something she can’t quite pinpoint – the way he locks his gaze with hers sometimes, how he seems more relaxed. Whatever happened while he was away made his gaze softer and movements even quicker.

That’s why she’s not going to withdraw.

“That’s settled, then,” she decides, rearranging the straps of her backpack, her leather gloves creaking. “Good.”

Sasuke sets his jaw.

“Sakura,” he speaks, and this single word sounds like several different sentences. _You can still back out_ , it says. _Have you thought this through?_ _Please, think this through._

Sasuke doesn’t want her to change her mind – she hopes, at least, because if he did, she wouldn’t be here; that’s not it, that’s something else. What they’re about to do is big, _significant_ ; Sakura can feel it when she squares her shoulders and when Sasuke slightly turns his head. This journey will be different than any other, but neither of them knows how exactly.

As exciting and challenging as it is, the thought also scares her, just a tiny bit.

It’s okay, though, whatever happens.

“Do you really not want me to go with you this badly, Sasuke-kun?” she asks; teases, because at the sound of her name in his mouth the sparks of anger behind her sternum go out as another kind of warmth blooms in her chest.

They’ll do just fine.

Sasuke simply shoots her a glance, then sidesteps her after what it seems like a second of hesitation and starts heading towards the gate.

“Come on,” he says before she can make a sound, and these words hold another meaning, too.

_I do want you to go with me._

Haruno Sakura catches up to him, practically beaming as they cross the gate side by side. From the corner of her eye, she sees a movement, and as she peers up, her heart swells.

There’s a hint of a smile on Uchiha Sasuke’s face.


End file.
